 |
Johannes Gutenberg invented the movable type printing press in 1454, revolutionizing the world. The first book to be printed was the Bible. Gutenberg’s superior invention opened the door for the common man to own and know God’s Word. The reason for Gutenberg’s success, as he stated in 1460, is that his work had been under “the protection of the All-Highest, who often reveals to the humble what He conceals from the wise.”
Isaac Newton was just an average student whose best grades were in religion. Nonetheless, his discoveries in physics, optics, astronomy and mathematics place him as the greatest scientific mind of all time. His formulation of the law of gravity was his highest achievement and came from his intense study of the Bible. In his words, “I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.”
Florence Nightingale was convinced at age seventeen that God had a special mission planned for her, which she eventually discovered was nursing. Mastering five languages and intensely studying medicine, hospital administration and nursing, Florence became an expert on public health and hospitals, in time overseeing the welfare of the British army. When soldiers tried to give honor to her, she would tell them, “Give praise to God.” Indeed, Florence impacted history by establishing nursing as a medical profession.
George Washington Carver was the son of a slave woman who became an orphan raised by a poor family. After overcoming serious illness as a child, Carver invested his life in helping others. Describing himself as a “cookstove chemist,” George developed 300 products from peanuts, including dyes, soap, and dairy substitutes. He also formulated over 100 products from sweet potatoes, such as molasses and rubber. Who did he give the credit to? God. He explained, “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”
These people were all Christians who lived extraordinary lives in the field of their unique expertise, doing what God called them to do.
“I have a dream of a light-filled body of Christ comprised of all ages, inclusive of men and women, awakening to what God has hidden within and arising in His glory and power. These believers will live in such an extraordinary manner that multitudes will be drawn to the Kingdom of God, not merely by what they preach, but by the compelling demonstration of how they live and their remarkable feats.”
—John Bevere
chapter 17, Extraordinary
|
|